This invention relates to a method for installing aerial cables of the type supported by utility poles, and more particularly, to a method for directing an aerial cable across an obstacle such as a road or river.
Utility poles commonly support many different types of aerial cables including high voltage power lines, cable TV cables, telephone wires, and the like. Most utility poles are arranged along roads and highways. When additional cables are to be suspended between utility poles, specially equipped service vehicles with platforms that can be raised into the air, must be used so that a service person can install the cable to the top of the poles. Unfortunately, this often requires closing the adjacent section of the road or highway to traffic.
The above problem is exacerbated when a new cable must be suspended between utility poles located on opposites sides of the road or highway. Such a scenario often requires the redirection of traffic in the area of the work. Moreover, if the additional cables are to be suspended above existing high voltage power lines, the electricity carried thereby must be shut down prior to suspending additional cables. This in turn results in an inconvenient and sometimes costly loss of power to homes, businesses, schools, etc., that are serviced by these power lines. Accordingly, a method for installing aerial cables is needed which substantially eliminates or reduces the above problems.
A method is described herein for directing an aerial cable across an obstacle having a cable extending above the obstacle from a first side of the obstacle to a second side of the obstacle. The method comprises providing an apparatus comprising a plurality of elongated members, at least two of which slidably hold the aerial cable; attaching the aerial cable to one of the elongated members; assembling the elongated members together in tandem; suspending the elongated members to a section of the messenger wire located on the first side of the obstacle; and sliding the assembled apparatus along the cable to the second side of the obstacle, thereby drawing the cable across the obstacle from the first side of the obstacle to the second side of the obstacle.
One aspect of the method of the invention includes pulling the cable from the second side of the obstacle to draw additional cable across the obstacle.
Another aspect of the method of the invention includes providing a cable lasher that rides on the cable; connecting the cable lasher to one of the elongated members; and pulling the apparatus back to first side of the obstacle, thereby causing the cable lasher to move along the cable toward the first side of the obstacle while lashing the aerial cable to the cable with a lashing wire.